Colonial Perspective and Natural History
Dorris Ranch lies in a transition zone between the hills to the south and the expanding valley to the north. Before the 1800s, the site was wooded with open grassland covered hills, primarily due to repeated prescribed fires regimes by native Kalapuya tribes (MIG Inc. and Willamalane, 2008). “Since 1850, over 99% of the native prairie and savannah has been lost, leading to their designations as critically endangered ecosystems. Land-use conversion and urbanization, altered fire regimes, and habitat fragmentation are currently recognized as key conservation issues in the Willamette Valley” (Hallman et. al., 2021).
Settlement of the ranch began around 1850, and woodlands were cleared to provide more viable farmland. The basic pattern of the park remained the same with continued succession in the woodlands bringing more shade and shade-tolerant species. With the lack of prescribed burns, encroaching conifers threaten the oak habitat and the biodiversity it supports.
Land Acknowledgement
The University of Oregon (and Dorris Ranch) is located on Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people. Following treaties between 1851 and 1855, Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the United States government and forcibly removed to the Coast Reservation in Western Oregon. Today, descendants are citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, and continue to make important contributions in their communities, at UO, across the land we now refer to as Oregon, and around the world.
We express our respect for all federally recognized Tribal Nations of Oregon. This includes the Burns Paiute Tribe; the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians; the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon; the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon; the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; the Coquille Indian Tribe; the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; and the Klamath Tribes. We also express our respect for all other displaced Indigenous peoples who call Oregon home (University of Oregon Senate, 2021).
Recent History
Dorris Ranch is a part of the Willamalane Park and Recreation District in Springfield, Oregon as a national historic site, a living history farm, and a public park with connecting bike paths to other public parks (Willamalane Park and Recreation District, n.d.).
The park’s primary ownership and management since settlement was overseen by the Dorris family since 1892. The orchard is famous for being the first commercial filbert orchard in America, operating since 1903. “More than half of all the commercial filbert trees now growing in the U.S. originated from Dorris Ranch nursery stock” (Willamalane Park and Recreation District, n.d.).
Willamalane acquired the management rights to the park in the 1970’s with future intentions to restore the park closer to its natural conditions, while maintaining its commercial, recreational, and educational functions.
Present and Future
Dorris Ranch is the site of significant oak restoration efforts, of which the Birds & Blooms ELP team is assisting managers in the monitoring efforts.
The Dorris Ranch Master Plan created in 2008, and revised in 2019, outlines significant steps to maintaining the oak prairie and woodland in association with the commercial filbert farming also taking place. In 2016-2018, with funding from Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and partnerships with the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council, Willamalane started removing conifers to initiate the oak restoration plan (Willamalane Park and Recreation District, n.d.).
Beyond the conifer removal and girdling at Dorris Ranch, the managers at Willamalane continued oak habitat restoration by planting native species, mowing, and using herbicide on invasive vegetation. Willamalane has not implemented prescribed burns due to proximity to residential Springfield; however, they mow annually during the fall in late September/early October after the native wildflowers have had a chance to seed.
Citations
Hallman, T.A., Robinson, W.D., Curtis, J.R. and Alverson, E.R. (2021), Building a better baseline to estimate 160 years of avian population change and create historically informed conservation targets. Conservation Biology, 35: 1256-1267. https://doi-org.libproxy.uoregon.edu/10.1111/cobi.13676
MIG, Inc. and Willamalane Park and Recreation District. (2008, December). Dorris Ranch Living History Farm Master Plan Update. Google Drive. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hCkIq96cT9ZuZ58qneMBwCaIQLtozmhn/view
University of Oregon Senate. (2021, February 15). The University of Oregon Senate. Senate’s Land Acknowledgment. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://senate.uoregon.edu/senates-land-acknowledgment
Willamalane Park and Recreation District, OR. Dorris Ranch | Willamalane Park and Recreation District. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.willamalane.org/dorris_ranch.php